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jmc

geometry senior

Problem

The points , , and are the vertices of an equilateral triangle. Find the value of .
Solution
Consider the points on the complex plane. The point is then a rotation of degrees of about the origin, so: Equating the real and imaginary parts, we have: Solving this system, we find that . Thus, the answer is . Note: There is another solution where the point is a rotation of degrees of ; however, this triangle is just a reflection of the first triangle by the -axis, and the signs of and are flipped. However, the product is unchanged.
Final answer
315